Arkansas coach Eric Musselman wanted to see heart. He wanted to see fire.
He might have preferred more attractiveness, too, but that old phrase about beggars and chooses is apt.
His Razorbacks weren’t pretty Wednesday, but they didn’t have to be. They snapped a three-game losing streak to start SEC play by beating Texas A&M, one of the league favorites at the beginning of the season to revive hopes in Fayetteville.
Arkansas’ defense was especially good. Or maybe the Aggies were suffering the effects of the wind chilld. Texas A&M shot just 32% from the floor, a statistic Musselman attributed to changing approaches on the Aggies’ two stars.
But it was Tramon Mark who was the real reason Arkansas picked up its first SEC win. He scored 35 points, including a fadeaway from the game-winner at the buzzer, to keep Arkansas’ hopes alive.
Here’s everything Musselman had to say after the game.